"Come, Follow Me" (Mark 10:17-22)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: 

“And Jesus, looking at [the rich young man], loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, see all that you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me’” (Mark 10:21).

 

You may not consider yourself to be rich. But if you have a refrigerator and a car and you can afford to go out to eat ever so often, you are considered “rich” by worldly standards. 

 

You see, an American family at the official poverty line has an income that puts them in the top three percent of the world’s people. If your income is the average household income that would mean that you are not merely a one-percenter compared to the world; an average American household income puts you in the top of the one-quarter of one percent in the world.[1]

 

So, no matter where you are: as a cashier, a factory worker, a banker, a farmer – you are rich. But that is okay. There is no sin in having money. And Jesus loves rich people, including you and me. Rich people need the love of Jesus.

 

One day as Jesus was setting out on His journey, a rich man, like you and me, ran up to Jesus and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17)

 

It appears that this man has figured out the answer to his own question, but he wants Jesus’ approval. You see, this man assumes that he has the necessary ability to easily reach eternal life.

 

So, Jesus responds to the question saying, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Now, Jesus is not arguing with the man or trying to one-up the man. Jesus is getting to the heart of the issue. It was certainly rare in Jewish circles to address a man as “good,” since “good” was reserved for God. 

So, does this indicate that this man believes that Jesus is divine? Or could this be ironic? Or simply flattery? We don’t know. But Jesus continues getting to the heart of the issue.

 

He says, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother’” (Mark 10:19).

 

So, why did Jesus choose these commandments? Well, it’s likely that these commandments were the ones that the rich young man was most sure that he has kept. We all have our favorite commandments that we believe we have never broken. We say those things all the time: “I’ve never murdered anybody.” “I’m a faithful husband.” “I’m a faithful wife.” “I pay my bills.” “I have never cheated anyone.” “I don’t gossip.” “I take care of my mom and dad.”

 

Our sinful nature gives us the thought that we can keep God’s Ten Commandments without too much trouble. Our sinful nature believes we are quite sure that we have a good moral record.

 

So, the rich young man says what you might say to Jesus, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth” (Mark 10:20).

 

Without a blinking of an eye, this rich young man says he has fulfilled each of those commandments. He says He has fulfilled the Second Table of the Law. He claims that He has loved his neighbor as himself since his youth. He claims he is perfect. He claims he has not sinned.

 

For this rich young man, God’s Law did not terrify him, since, according to him, he has kept the Law.

 

Then Jesus lovingly looked at the rich young man and said, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21).

 

Like this rich young man, our possessions can weigh us down so that we pay too much attention to the wrong things. Like him, our possessions can get in the way of following Jesus. So often, your possessions, your riches, are standing in the way of embracing Jesus’ friendly, kindly, gracious invitation: “Follow Me.”

 

Now, money and possessions are not evil in themselves. Jesus is not saying that we must give away all that we have to the poor in order to inherit eternal life. That would not be wise, since we need material goods for survival. But Jesus is using this to get to the heart of the issue.

 

Jesus, here, is answering this rich young man’s question by zeroing in on his one great fault: he loved his wealth more than he loved God. He has made his wealth his idol – his false god. He feared, loved, and trusted in his material wealth above all things.

 

So, to inherit eternal life, this rich young man needed to rid himself of his idol – his false god. And after he rid himself of his idol, he was to go and follow Jesus. This rich young man desires eternal life, but in order to have it, he must put God first in his life by following Jesus.

 

So, what are you willing to give up?

 

The triune God is a jealous God as He wants you all to Himself. So, just as Jesus looked up at the rich young man and loved him, He also looks up at you and loves you. 

 

By bringing up the commandments, Jesus is not playing gotcha. He brings up the commandments as a reminder that we fail in keeping them, even if we think we can. But as soon as we put anything as more important than the one true God, the dominoes fall as we break each commandment one by one. So, whoever fears and loves anything else in heaven and upon the earth will not keep any of the commandments. The triune God takes no pleasure in those who have other gods. 

 

You see, everything flows from the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:3). Flowing from the First Commandment, we do our neighbor no harm, injury or violence, nor in any way oppress our neighbor regarding his body, wife, property, honor, or rights. We honor father and mother, masters, and all in authority, and are subject and obedient to them, not for their own sake, but for God’s sake.

 

God is angry and punishes those who despise Him and His commandments. On the other hand, God abundantly rewards those who love Him and keep His commandments. So, what do we do? We respond to Jesus’ invitation: “Come, follow Me.”

 

So, don’t let anything get in your way, or derail you, or distract you, or point you in another direction. Jesus says this isn’t about what you have or don’t have. It isn’t about what you ought to do or should have done. What matters is following Jesus.

 

You see, Jesus loves you so much that for yours and my sake, though He was rich, He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Son of God had all the riches of heaven, but He lowered Himself by becoming man, taking upon Himself human flesh, so that He could give you your undeserved inheritance: eternal life.

 

Jesus is with us today in His Means of Grace as He forgives yours and my sins and strengthens our faith through His Word and Sacrament.

 

Jesus fulfilled the Law, suffered and died our punishment for not obeying God’s Law upon the cross for you and me. He rose, so that we would also rise from the dead.

 

So, how much would following Jesus cost you? Jesus says: “A person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take His cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds His life will lose it, and whoever loses His life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:36-39).

 

So, following Jesus means to go His way. And His way may not be easy, according to our sinful nature. For He says, “Enter by the narrow Gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the Gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

For us rich people, to follow Jesus is to find eternal life by losing everything – but receiving more! How do you think you are following Jesus if you are paying more attention to something else all the time?

 

But Jesus, who loves you, calls you, and invites you saying: “Come, follow Me!” Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

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[1] https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines

"Our Divine Purpose" (Genesis 2:18-25)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’” (Genesis 2:18).

 

There are a lot of people these days who are lonely. Do you sometimes feel alone, isolated and disconnected from others?

 

In an era where humanity is “more connected” than ever with phones, mail and the internet, more and more people say that they are isolated, invisible and insignificant. Many people say, “I have to shoulder all of life’s burdens by myself,” and “If I disappear tomorrow, will anyone even notice?”

 

Loneliness is a problem. In fact, about one-in-two adults in America experience loneliness.[1] So, the odds are high that you are experiencing loneliness.

 

Again, “the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’” (Genesis 2:18).

 

All throughout the six days of creation, God calls everything good. God created light; God created the sky; God created land and plants and gathered waters into seas; God created the sun, moon, and stars to fill the heavens; God created birds to fill the skies and sea creatures to fill the seas; God created land animals and people to fill the land. Good, good, good, good, good, very good.

 

When all seems perfect, God says what you would think is the unexpected: It is not good. “It is not good that the man should be alone.”

 

But for Adam, he had no idea that he needed companionship. Adam had no idea that he was incomplete. So, according to God’s definite plan, God built woman from man.

 

Now, the creation of woman in Genesis 2 was not an afterthought on the part of God. Genesis 1 has already witnessed that humanity is male and female, both and together bearing the very image of God. Genesis 2 is just giving us the details of what happened on that sixth day of creation.

 

Now, it was never God’s intent to have Adam live alone. Recall, it was not Adam, but God who said: “It is not good that the man should be alone.” So, before Adam even realizes that he has no companion, God is having Adam discover the need for a mate.

 

But before God builds a helper for Adam, God gave Adam a task: to name all livestock, to name all the birds of the heavens, and to name every beast of the field. By his voice, Adam was able to compel the lions, tigers, bears, apes, hawks, eagles and every other animal to come to him to be named. As Adam chose the names of each animal, he came to realize that each other creature had a mate. Every other creature had a companion.

 

Now, don’t feel sorry for Adam. For at this time, he was innocent and righteous. So, he perfectly feared, loved, and trusted God for all his needs.

 

“But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:20b).

 

You see, God wanted Adam to discover for himself that no other creature was like him. The Lord was using the process of naming the other creatures as a teaching devise to bring Adam’s loneliness home to him. Every other living creature had a helper fit for them, but Adam had none.

 

And God is not content to leave Adam, and you and me, in loneliness.

 

Now, as Adam longed for a mate, “God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man He made into a woman and brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:21-22).

 

From Adam’s own side, his own rib, his own being, his own flesh, God builds the stuff of which He builds the woman. Shared flesh and shared origin. God’s design of male and female.

Then Adam said: 

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23).

With joy and satisfaction, and with praise to God, Adam found Eve to be just the companion he needed to complete his happiness. God fulfilled Adam’s need for a companion. God provided Eve to be his helper and in doing so, God provided marriage for Adam’s loneliness.

 

Mankind needs belonging. We need someone to share our thoughts and desires. We need mutual help for our mutual work.

 

Now, not everyone will be married, but everyone does need a helper, a friend. We all need a shoulder to cry on. We all need someone we can trust to have your back when times get tough.

 

Today, God gives us His divine purpose. And His purpose is for us to be of help to one another. We are to help and support our neighbor in every physical need.

 

Today, the Church celebrates Lutheran Women in Mission, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML). We, as individual members of the Church are not meant to be alone. “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not the hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body” (1 Corinthians 12:14-20).

 

So, just as Adam needed a helper, and we need helpers in mission, the Lord provides. The motto of the LWML is “Serve the Lord with gladness!” as it supports the Church’s mission domestically and internationally.

 

It takes all of us to support the Church’s mission to tell everyone that in the coming kingdom of Christ there will be no more loneliness.

 

Today, because of the Fall into sin, there is so much loneliness. Sin strains our marriages where even marriages can be lonely. And even while in a sea of people, it can be very lonely.

 

It is certainly not good for man to be alone. But just as God created Eve from Adam to provide an end to Adam’s loneliness, God, too, sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Crowds followed Jesus, but then they all departed. From the crowds to loneliness. Jesus was alone in Gethsemane. He was alone in Caiaphas’ house. He was alone before Herod. He was alone before Pontius Pilate. He was alone before the Roman soldiers. He was alone before the crowds that shook their heads and mocked Him, saying: “He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, His Chosen One!” (Luke 23:35). While hanging upon a cross, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34). Even God the Father abandoned Him. Jesus was the loneliest Man in the world.

 

You see, your Savior knows what it is like to be lonely. Jesus knows your loneliness. But now He is risen from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father “in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all”(Ephesians 1:20-23).

 

Today, Jesus promises that He is with you always. He will not leave you as an orphan. Even in the shadow of death, He is with you, for His rod and His staff comfort you.

 

The coming kingdom of Christ will have no loneliness. Your loneliness will be swallowed up by togetherness as we will be in God’s presence forever. We will be reunited with those whom death has torn away.

 

In the meantime, God brings us together at this altar as He forgives our sins against Him and our neighbor, so that we can better fulfill our divine purpose in service to our neighbor. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

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[1] https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

"Rejoice! Your Name is Written in Heaven!" (Luke 10:17-20)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“And Jesus said to [the Seventy-Two], ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’” (Luke 10:18).

 

One of the greatest lies Satan has succeeded in having people believe is that he is a mythical figure depicted in Scripture and not a real being. If you don’t think Satan exists, he can work under the radar much more effectively.

 

We are caught in the crosshairs of a spiritual war. But the good news is that we have divine protection. In this spiritual war, Satan stands as our adversary in the heavenly court prosecuting humanity. Also in that courtroom is Michael, who is pleading Christ’s sacrifice for the sin of the world against the deceiver of the world. The victory is Christ’s, the slaughtered Lamb of God, who in His death is also the conquering Lion of Judah.

 

Those 72 disciples who returned with joy over their power to subdue demons in the name of Jesus did not understand when Christ said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). They didn’t understand, because they were unaware of the spiritual war being waged in heaven on their behalf. They thought their joy was built on their own ability to control the demons. But they would soon realize that their true joy would come from knowing that their names are written in heaven. Jesus’ earthly ministry would open their eyes to this spiritual war whose victory is only won through the blood of the Lamb and through speaking of their faith to others.

 

Revelation 12 – as we heard in our epistle lesson – tells of this spiritual war in heaven. Michael the archangel leads God’s angelic armies in battle against the armies of Satan and his demons who threaten to destroy God’s chosen child, the Messiah. The conflict is over the fate of man. But the assault of Satan and his demons is doomed to failure, for St. John reveals: “He was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven” (Revelation 12:8).

 

So, how were Satan and his demons defeated? How can Jesus say, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven?” The reason for Satan’s defeat and his fall from heaven is the slaughter of the Lamb. Satan, the accuser, is defeated. He can no longer accuse us, for Christ, by His perfect life and atoning death, took away the guilt of the world, removing all grounds for accusation against humankind. The floodgates of mercy are now open. God’s grace and forgiveness pour forth in abundance because the Lamb has been slain. His blood has been shed for all. The voice of the accuser is forever silenced for those who are wrapped in Christ’s righteousness.

 

Even though Satan’s power over us is defeated, he still continues to battle in minor skirmishes. He’s willing to take a few down with him, even if he can’t take down all of us. He still tempts us to disregard God’s Word. He attacks us with unbelief and indifference. But we have the promise that God will deliver us from every temptation by the evil one. For Jesus says, “Nothing shall hurt you”(Luke 10:19).

 

You see, Jesus promises His people divine protection from evil while they are engaged in spiritual warfare. Yet, we will still encounter hostile rejection and even persecution while living in this fallen world, but we will be at peace with God.

 

But there is something else to take notice of Jesus words: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” You see, in the Greek, this captures the continuous action. So, Jesus is continually watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. This is how Jesus was summing up the effects of the mission of the 72. For in their preaching and in their healing, in their activity of proclaiming Christ and His Gospel, there was victory over Satan and his demons, because even the 72 recognized that “the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17).

 

You see, the disciples needed to remember the words of Jesus as He sent them out into the harvest as lambs in the midst of wolves. Their success could have puffed them up to further seek visible achievements. As they were out among the wolves, Satan could have used their success to attack them and thwart true ministry.

 

Instead, they preached to the fallen world with the words of Jesus: “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:9). In the very preaching of the disciples, the kingdom of God has already become a present reality and the kingdom of Satan is firmly defeated. The very presence of Christ in their proclamation to redeem a lost and dying world declares that Christ’s kingdom has triumphed, His cross has absorbed the world’s sin. And they should not fear, for even though Satan will assault them for their proclamation, Jesus guarantees that nothing will hurt them.

This is also our proclamation! For in the preaching of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God draws near! So, as we gather together in Christ’s presence, it is through the proclamation of His Word, the cleansing at the Baptismal Font, the feeding upon His body and blood under the bread and wine at the Lord’s Supper that Christ declares to the people of God that His victory is our victory, the accuser will accuse no more, since all sins are forgiven through Christ, our Lord!

 

Like the disciples then, we, too, should not be focused on success in telling our neighbors about the sure and certain hope we have in Christ. Yes, we continue to spread the Gospel, but we shouldn’t be focused on worldly types of success, such as numbers. Since Satan will use that as a way to attack. What really matters, as Christ says, is “that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Their focus, as well as our focus, must be on the heavenly gift of grace that theirs and our names are written in God’s Book of Life, beside the names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

 

Today, we witnessed God write three more names in His Book of Life. There, through the water and the Word, at that Baptismal Font, God added Brooke, Evilyn, and Amelia to His Book of Life. And Brooke today will not only be baptized, but she will also soon confirm her faith in her Lord Jesus Christ! So, today is a major blow to Satan as we see him falling further like lightning as he is renounced, as well as his works and his ways.

 

Every day that Satan is thwarted is a glorious day! Always remember that through Holy Baptism, your names are written in heaven, and you are continually preserved in that status through the testimony of Jesus’ Word and through His heavenly feast! Jesus defeated the power of the devil! His kingdom has come and is right here and right now! By grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, you have a promised place in heaven, thereby gaining what Satan had forfeited by his rebellion. So, “rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!” (Revelation 12:12). 

 

Now, Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ!

Drop your ugly accusation, I am not so soon enticed.

Now that to the font I’ve traveled, All your might has come unraveled,

And, against your tyranny, God, my Lord, unites with me! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Friendship with the World" (James 3:13-4:10)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

 

What a fine way to begin a sermon! Do I have your attention? Today, we conclude our Epistle series on James as he – as inspired by the Holy Spirit – continues addressing our conduct in the church.

 

Today’s epistle text can be seen multiple ways. It can be seen as proverbs with its various gems, reminiscent of Solomon’s Book of Proverbs, or it can be understood as stern law preaching. Either way, the Holy Spirit inspires James to guide his readers in what it truly means to be Christians in a profoundly un-Christian world. Today, James calls on us to live in this world, but not be of this world.

 

The expression “You adulterous people!” likely caught your attention and likely for the wrong reason. Is James indicating that these people he is writing to are breaking the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery”? Are his original hearers not living sexually pure and decent lives? Well, what is the context?

 

No! James is not accusing them of having adulterous sexual relationships. But he is still accusing them of adultery. But instead of sexual adultery, he is accusing them of spiritual adultery, that is, giving love and attention first to something other than the one true God. 

 

You see, for God, He pictures Israel as His bride and He as Israel’s husband. For God, for Israel to disobey Him is like breaking the marriage vow. It means that all sin is against love. It means that our relationship with God is not like that distant relationship of a king and a subject or a master and a slave or a boss and an employee, but our relationship with God is like the intimate relationship of husband and wife. It means that when we sin, we break God’s heart, just as the heart of one partner in marriage may be broken by the desertion of the other.

 

Jesus says in Matthew 6: “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). We can use the world or be used by it. We can live in the world by loving God and serving our neighbor. Or we can be used by the world as it controls and dictates our life and in doing so, we become an enemy of God.

 

The triune God speaks of Himself as a jealous God. He says:

§  “You shall have no other gods before Me” … “for I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:3, 5). 

§  “For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).

 

In the Old Testament times, God often lamented the way faithless Israel despised His love and chased after the Canaanite gods Baal and Asherah. Now, James’ readers were probably no longer tempted by Baal worship, but Satan still arranged that there would be plenty of new idols to take Baal’s place. So, just as the Old Testament prophets accused Israel of infidelity, James indicts the church of the “New Israel” as unfaithful to the Lord who redeemed her to be His bride.

 

In the Old Testament, God redeemed Israel through the exodus to be His wife, and although her promiscuity would lead to the exile as a kind of divorce, God would marry her anew. The Prophet Isaiah expresses this marriage relationship: “For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you” (Isaiah 54:6-7). Jeremiah the prophet also told of the Lord’s remembrance of their exodus nuptials: “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown” (Jeremiah 2:2). Every Old Testament prophet considered Israel’s rebellion against God to be adultery.

 

Then we come to the New Testament era as Christ, the Bridegroom, purified His Church to be His virgin bride as He suffered and died for His bride. Christ cleansed His bride, the Church, through the washing of water with the Word. And this wedding will take place upon His return.

 

Although the Church is betrothed to Christ, our status as a pure virgin is in danger through the seduction of the serpent known as Satan and the seduction of the fallen world. Satan tempts us to disregard God’s Word. And as evil as Satan is, James is more concerned with the fallen world, which also is under Satan’s control. 

Again: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

 

Now, this friendship with the world doesn’t mean that Christians cannot be friends with unbelievers. What “friendship with the world” really means is conforming to the fallen world. It means having misplaced trust.

 

Martin Luther speaks of the human heart as an “idol factory” that is ready to trust the newest god on the block. That newest idol could be money and possessions, so you feel secure. It could be your children or grandchildren. It could be your cat or dog. It could be sports. It could be an athlete, politician, or celebrity figure. Now, all those things are not evil in themselves, but how often do those things become an idol – a false god? An idol becomes an idol when those things become more important than God Himself.

 

Another way of looking at “friendship with the world” is living your life for the Facebook likes and shared posts. Or you live your life following the winds and ways of this fallen world. “Friendship with the world” is a life devoted to wealth and selfish ambition that has no room for God. “Worldliness” has no love for your neighbor. “Worldliness” is wisdom that is “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:15). 

 

The fallen world and its prince Satan are at war to wound and kill Christ’s bride, the Church. The fallen world wants mass casualties. The fallen world desires that the Church prostitute herself to the world through acts of false doctrine, including redefining marriage, redefining humanity, and saying all roads lead to heaven.

 

Satan and his fallen world are coming after us and our sinful nature often just eats it up. There is a war going on inside us. So, what are we to do? James gives us seven healthy, humble attitudes to replace the poisonous, sinful attitudes of selfishness and pride:

§  First, “submit yourselves therefore to God” by fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things. We do that by acknowledging Him as first in your life and subordinating your will to His.

§  Second, “resist the devil.” Armed with God’s Word, you are stronger than Satan and he will flee from you.

§  Third, “draw near to God.” Through the miracle of God’s grace, a repentant sinner is neverturned away. 

§  Fourth, “cleanse your hands.” Faith in Christ gives Christians clean hands.

§  Fifth, “purify your hearts” by being single-mindedly devoted to God as our faith influences our day-to-day life.

§  Sixth, “be wretched and mourn and weep.” Repentance affects the whole person, so grieving, mourning and wailing are appropriate for people who have previously found joy in sinning.

§  Seventh, “humble yourselves before the Lord.” There can be no spiritual health and soundness in a person until he acknowledges sinful failures and asks God for mercy instead of demanding wages.

 

But no matter what, God refuses to lose us to this war going on within us. He refuses to lose you! Remember, our God is a jealous God. But He’s not like a jealous boyfriend or girlfriend, who may be someone to get away from. God is not abusive. He is not controlling. But He is jealous. But for Him, to be jealous is to say that He wants you all to Himself, and He wants no one else to have you – no false god or false idol, no false doctrine, no false hope, or even the devil himself to have you.

 

Jealousy, in most cases, means that the jealous person does harm to another, because keeping you is all for my benefit. But God’s jealousy is a protective jealousy. A guardian jealousy. An exclusive on loving you with a perfect love, with no exception to treating you kindly. And that’s for your benefit. This is why James, talking about God’s merciful and holy jealousy, puts it in terms of grace: “But He gives more grace … God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). We, humbled by our sins, are seen by our God who wants us only for Himself, and He, without hesitation, gives us more grace, so as to strengthen the relationship.

 

Our evil foes – Satan, the fallen world, and our own sinful nature – will certainly continue to accuse us before God, but God’s jealousy for us triumphs. Christ’s forgiveness is crucial. Each day our forgiving Lord calls us to go to those against whom we’ve sinned and to seek to be reconciled, and the devil’s chaos gives way to God’s order. Forgiveness is God’s wonderful way of neutralizing the devil’s accusatory protests against us and having him flee from you and me. 

 

Our jealous God is greater than any sin you have committed. Jesus is proof of that! His cross is His payment for your well-deserved punishment. His empty tomb is your guarantee of eternal life. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +